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(Editor’s Note: This post is part of our ongoing “wine chats” with sommelier and oenophile Serdar Kombe. Today he talks about a Turkish sparkling wine that’s actually worth talking about.)

1. A wine expert whose opinion we trust told us that “Turkish bubblies are positively undrinkable!!!”Is that the case? Is Turkey’s terroir not suited for sparkling wines?Actually making good sparkling wine is related with making good white wine. Turkish wineries are improving their white wine making skills, but there is more to be done. Anyway, sparkling wines have been produced for approximately 40 years in Turkey. Mainly, local grape varieties are being used for the blend and mainly the charmat method [whereby the second fermentation takes place in large vats, rather than in the bottle] is being using for making sparkling wines, althoug this method has not been adapted properly. Whichever winery is making sparkling wine, their first purpose is to make wine, rather than dedicating themselve to making sparkling wine, which always stays in the shadow of still wines. I believe that Turkish wineries are not properly concentrating on making and selling sparkling wine. Another problem is that Turkish people think that it is for celebrations only. They only drink sparkling wine when they are celebrating anniversaries, birthdays etc.

2. That said, you’ve found a new Turkish bubbly that you like. What can you tell us about this one? Continue…

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Hanging On to History: Edible Nostalgia in Samatya
no responses - Posted
05.08.18
That much of the past seems to stick to Samatya is a marvel in Istanbul, a city being rebuilt and “restored” at an alarming pace.
First, there’s the question of its name. Occupying a stretch of the Marmara Sea and squeezed between the old city walls and Kumkapı, an area home to a rotating cast of eclectic restaurants, the neighborhood still ... continue

Spring Surprises: Skewering the First Fruits in Istanbul
no responses - Posted
04.25.18
It was the first of April and an absolutely pristine Istanbul spring day, the kind where one can break a slight sweat walking up a hill then catch a cool breeze in a nearby patch of shade. Returning to the city from a lovely weekend on Büyükada, we were smitten with spring and wanted to indulge in its finest offerings.
In ... continue

Farewell, Pando: An Istanbul Culinary Legend Passes On
no responses - Posted
04.16.18
It’s Saturday around lunchtime and business as usual in the bustling Beşiktaş Çarşı neighborhood, as crowds of mostly younger people fill the narrow streets. Down on Mumcu Bakkal Sokak, a pedestrian-only street lined with miniscule shops, a line around the block has been formed by those eager to get into one of the city’s best döner spots.
For many of those ... continue

Bağdat Ocakbaşı: Licensed to Grill
no responses - Posted
04.09.18
Istanbul’s T1 tramway is relatively pleasant if you can find a seat, but borders on unbearable if you are on your feet.
Back in 2015, we wrote about a trip we took from the line’s first stop all the way to one of its last, which lies way out in the district of Güngören. By the time the tram has made ... continue

Dose & Istos Café: Greek Revival
no responses - Posted
03.30.18
A café at its best is so much more than the sum of its parts: it’s a place where people can easily mingle, share ideas, and dertleşmek, or commiserate over their troubles, all while imbibing caffeine. At the same time, it’s a place where visitors might feel an invisible thread of common beliefs connecting them, an unspoken camaraderie, even if ... continue

Back to the Land: Urban Turks Tackle Rural Life
no responses - Posted
03.23.18
When Buket Ulukut first moved from Istanbul to a rural plot of land in the foothills of the Taurus Mountains in southern Turkey, she was leading a double life.
“I’d be taking calls from clients in Europe while out amidst the rows of peppers and eggplants, hoping they didn’t hear the rooster crowing in the background,” says Ulukut, who worked in ... continue

Semt Pazarları, Civic Life Perfected
no responses - Posted
03.09.18
“Two kilos five liraaa! Two kilos five liraaa!” bellowed a young and exuberant vendor of tomatoes to the ongoing stream of frugal-minded shoppers making their way through the snaking Tarlabaşı Sunday Market.
Hundreds of sellers of fresh produce, dairy, seafood, kitchenware, clothing, smuggled tobacco, jewelry, fresh baked goods and numerous other items set up side by side in the central Istanbul ... continue

All entries filed under Reviews (Drinks)

Istanbul Eats Drinks: Selendi Gülpembe Rosé 2010 no responses - Posted 06.03.11
(Editor’s Note: This post is part of our ongoing “wine talks” with sommelier and oenophile Serdar Kombe. Today he looks at a favorite Turkish rosé.)
1. Before we talk about this specific wine, tell us a bit about rosé in general: When do you drink it? Neither red nor white – ...continue

Istanbul Eats Drinks: Melen Papazkarası Reserve 3 responses - Posted 05.06.11
(Editor’s Note: We’ve recently been lucky enough to make the acquaintance of Serdar Kombe, one of Turkey’s leading oenophiles. These are exciting times for Turkish wine and Serdar has generously agreed to review wines for us. For today’s “wine chat,” Serdar chose to talk about the Melen Papazkarası Reserve, a ...continue

Haymatlos: Down and Out in the Rumeli Han 4 responses - Posted 04.11.11
When left alone by real estate developers, the late Ottoman-era hans of Beyoğlu are fertile ground for commercial misfits you’d never encounter in more visible locations. Like mushrooms in a dark, damp place, some of the city’s most individualistic enterprises – tattoo parlors, pirated DVD shops, Off-Track Betting parlors, risqué ...continue

Istanbul Eats Drinks: 2007 Pamukkale Anfora Shiraz no responses - Posted 04.01.11
(Editor’s Note: We’ve recently been lucky enough to make the acquaintance of Serdar Kombe, one of Turkey’s leading oenophiles. These are exciting times for Turkish wine and Serdar has generously agreed to review wines for us. For today’s “wine chat,” Serdar chose to talk about the 2007 Pamukkale Anfora Shiraz.)
1. ...continue

Istanbul Eats Drinks: 2007 Umurbey Sauvignon Blanc 1 response - Posted 03.04.11
An affordable trip to New Zealand can be had by simply visiting your nearest wine shop in Istanbul and asking for a bottle of the Turkish-made Umurbey sauvignon blanc. Made from the same grapes that have helped put whites from New Zealand on the wine map, this local alternative is ...continue

Istanbul Eats Drinks: Kavaklıdere Narince 2008 4 responses - Posted 02.11.11
(Editor's Note: We’ve recently been lucky enough to make the acquaintance of Serdar Kombe, one of Turkey’s leading oenophiles. These are exciting times for Turkish wine and Serdar has generously agreed to start a guest column for us about the subject. In his first review for us, he takes a ...continue

Istanbul Eats Drinks: Turkish Wine, Explained 4 responses - Posted 02.10.11
(Editor’s Note: We’ve recently been lucky enough to make the acquaintance of Serdar Kombe, one of Turkey’s leading oenophiles. These are exciting times for Turkish wine and Serdar has generously agreed to start a guest column for us about the subject. Today we are running a brief primer by Serdar ...continue

Ali Usta’s Salep: Pure and Uncut 3 responses - Posted 10.25.10
Cemal Bey sits behind a desk in a small, bare office on the second floor of a decrepit building near the Egyptian Bazaar in the city’s old quarter. Three large burlap sacks filled with what look like jumbo-sized yellow raisins are all that adorn the room. That and a fax ...continue

Istanbul Eats Drinks: The Case of the Missing Bar 8 responses - Posted 10.08.10
The closing of the landmark Pera Palas Hotel for renovations over the last few years meant we no longer had access to one of our favorite watering holes in town, the hotel’s classy yet cozy bar. The 19th-century Pera Palas, of course, was the elegant place where the passengers of ...continue

Brews With Views 4 responses - Posted 08.23.10
(Editor's Note: we first ran this roundup last summer, but we're bringing it back for those who may have not found it in our archive.)
The mojito may go the way of the grasshopper and other forgotten cocktails, but a cold beer accompanied by a panoramic view of the waters and ...continue